Hay-rack attachment.



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JOHN W. RIVES, OF LAWRENCE, INDIANA.

HAY-RACK ATTACHMENT;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Dec. 22', 1908.

Application filed March 16, 1908. Serial No. 421,318.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. Rrvns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Rack Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hay-racks and particularly to the means thereof for attaching the standard at the front of the rack to which the boom-pole is fastened, whereby said standard, commonly known as J acobs staff may be removed when it is desired to use the rack as the frame or base of a Wagon-bed with sides and ends.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure l, is a perspective view of a hay-rack containing my improvements, Fig. 2 a detail showing my standard or staff securing means in side view, from a vertical plane indicated by the dotted line 2-2 of Fig. 3, and F i 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, 0 Fig. 2, showing an edge view of said staff securing means. n

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

4 are the main timbers of the frame of a hay-rack, extending longitudinally of the rack, 5 are the transverse boards which extend laterally outside of their supports 4 so as to widen the rack, and 6 are longitudinally disposed boards supported upon the transverse pieces 5. All of the above described parts are of usual and well known construction.

7 is the front standard or J acobs staff which is mounted upon and is supported and carried by the rock-shaft 8. Heretofore the ends of the rock-shaft, previously rounded, have been held by insertion in suitable holes in the frame-timbers 4, which permitted the standard to be swung down into horizontal position upon the rack when not in use, but it could not be removed. The removal of the staff is desirable when it is wanted to convert the rack into a receptacle for live animals like hogs, sheep, or calves, or into a bed for hauling wood or the like, because it is in the way. I provide for this removal by using a shoe 9, preferably of metal, for each cylindrical end of the rock-shaft 8, said shoes being attached to the inner face of the re-' spective frame-membersiand having sockets to receive the ends of the rock-shaft with integral extensions, one for each shoe, each extension having a slot from socket to margin for the introduction of the rock-shaft by a lateral movement of said shaft. In the drawing. the socket above referred to is defined by the semi-circular flange 10, at right angles to the member 4, the top portion 11 of which flange is continued horizontally toward the front of the hay-rack past the limits of the underlying rock-shaft and is then carried in an oblique upwardly reverse direction from the point 12 to the end 13. The lower portion of flange 10 is continued to form the horizontal part 14 which merges with the curved part 15 formed on a circle described from the point 12 as a center. The curved part 15 merges with the part 16 which is parallel with the flange from 12 to 13, below. The flange thus described has an integral base 17 at right angles thereto, with suitable holes for bolts 18, by means of which bolts the shoe is fastened to its member 4 of the frame. The shoe just described is for the left frame member 4:; the one for the right frame member has the base on the opposite or reverse edge of the flange forming the socket and entering slot so as to properly adapt it for attachment to said right frame member.

The shoes are set with their slots opening toward the rear of the rack. When the rockshaft is in operative position with the standard raised as shown in Fig. 1, the load of hay will press the standard against the front transverse piece 5, and the latter forming a fulcrum will tend to swing the rock-shaft on the lower end of the standard, toward the rear of the rack, or into the socket of the shoe. It will be readily understood how the rock-shaft may be introduced or removed from the shoes whenever desired.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with the longitudinal main timbers of a hay rack and a rock shaft forming part of a standard for Jacobs staff of a shoe, having a socket to receive the end of the rock-shaft of the front standard, said socket having a horizontal forthis fourth day of March, A. D. one thou- Wardly extended slot With a curved extension sand nine hundred and eight.

merging into a rearwardly and upwardly extended portion and a perforated base for attaching the shoe to the frame of the rack.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana,

JOHN W. RIVES.

IVitnesses J. A. MINTURN, F. W. VVOERNER. 

